Zodiac 350 aero or Honwave 32 or...?

[Summer of 89]

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this forum that I have been reading constantly for months now.
I am still not entirely sure which SIB to choose due to my specific needs and limitations so I will ask more experienced members for advice on this. My experience with dinghies is very limited, although I have driven small plastic displacement boats with 4 HP outboard engines, sailed several times a week on different sailboats with friends, sailed on a windsurf for several years and a little on a kayak.
I love the sea in every way but fishing is my main passion or hobby and the SIB I plan to buy will be used most of the time just for that. What are the circumstances:

- airdeck because I will almost always launch from the car and limited storage space both at home and on holidays
- I will take launch wheels, Bravo pump - all by the book but again due to the configuration of the coast and tourist pressure on the beaches every summer, sometimes I will need to carry a packed SIB, then the engine and the rest to the place to assemble a significant distance
- 70% of time alone fishing, 25% with another fisherman and maybe 5% time with wife and daughter (9 years) to the nearby beach for swimming and the like

- I'm in the process of purchasing a Tohatsu 9.8 2T and I don't want to carry a heavier engine than that

- reach in favorable weather conditions - from 1 to several NM (Croatia by chance has a lot of small islands relatively close to the coast)
- the car is a limiting factor because although it is larger it is not a station wagon and has a trunk 115 cm x 115 cm but only 40 cm high
- even if I am transporting on the roof or on, for example, Buzzrack, I still have to keep SIB in the car while I am on holidays (we go to the sea to the family, an apartment in a building on the 3rd floor without an elevator) Since I want as many SIBs as possible that I can handle on my own (including weight) - this leaves me with two most likely opportunities: Honwave 32 measuring 112cm x 65cm x 38cm - I've watched reviews, arrangements, comments - but it's still too small to impress me on the screen, it doesn't inspire confidence in its modest dimensions but has a deeper V floor to make it more reliable in the sea 3 to 4. Not accidentally popular.

and the Zodiac Cadet aero 350 that could push in because the fold has dimensions of 120 x 60 x 30 cm (even if I lower part of the rear seats it will be OK) - wider side tubes, flat floor which is a better fishing platform, almost 30 cm inside length more and only 3 kg weight more (42kg) This model is incredibly unpopular in fact - it certainly has some of its reasons that I can not fully understand (except that it costs maybe 600 or 700 euros more)

The Elling 350 is unfortunately not an option now for well-known reasons. Please help in making a decision
Thanks for reading this long again "Which sib post"

[909]

That Zodiac Cadet Aero is made in China . You can get a clone of that boat for about half the price , likely from the same factory.

I know nothing about the Honwave 32 but it wins by default.

[Fenlander]

Welcome to the forum Summer of 89... a great lot of info to help us comment.

Regarding 909's clone comment... I sort of know what he means but even from the same factory the unbranded SIBs they make are rarely identical but just look broadly the same. There may be many detail, material and build differences including the specification given by whoever is commissioning them compared to that Zodiac will ask for.

I'll go through your points but not strictly in order.

First well done in choosing the Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke. It's what I and many others on here use for their easy portability.

You comment about it being busy at the coast so having to carry all the packed gear some distance and set up away from the car. It is much easier to find a location away from the busy places and set it all up nearer the car then with the transom wheels on use the SIB like a giant wheelbarrow with everything in it to trundle to the water.

Good choice deciding on an airdeck for your use and anything around 40kg is so much more managable used out of the car than heavier SIBs 60-70kg. The extra 3kg of the Honwave is no problem.

I see the packing dimensions of the Zodiac and Honwave are slightly different but they are broadly the same and will never be those exact sizes when you pack yourself. It is often possible if a particular dimension is crucial to make that the absolute minimum and then it will be a little larger in another dimension but the overall volume the same.

You wonder if the T32 would not inspire confidence being that bit smaller. I'd be totally happy taking a T32/9.8 combo out in a lively sea but there is no doubt the extra overall size of the Zodiac will make that feel even better.

The differences in the amount of V underneath will hardly make any difference in the way they perform on the water.

The flat air floor of the Zodiac will be a little better for fishing and the fact that it is separate to the boat itself makes it easier to repair if required and in some ways less likely to be damaged as there is the outer skin with the floor inside whereas the Honwave floor is the outer skin. The Zodiac flat floors can suffer from flexing which leads to loss of prop grip, the Honwave in a 3.2m length is less likely to suffer this. Finally re floors all the water that comes into the Honwave will be around your feet but with the Zodiac a fair amount of water can slop around under the floor in the void created between the outer material stretched down by the keel and the flat floor.

The Zodiac tubes are mainly heat welded compared to glued on the Honwave... heat welded is better but I'm happy with glued if the glued boat was better in other respects.

That's all the detail I can think of for now.

In the UK the Zodiac is about £1700... the Honwave about £1250. If they were the same price or I had plenty of money I'd probably choose the Zodiac for its extra size... but the money saved on getting the Honwave would pay for 12v pump, transom wheels and other kit.

[Summer of 89]

Thank you for your answers.
Of course some answers opened up additional questions
for me because I really have no practical experience.

"It is often possible if a particular dimension is crucial to make that the absolute minimum and then it will be a little larger in another dimension but the overall volume the same."
I don't really understand what do you mean here.
Maybe it can be arranged differently again so that it is, for example, wider than long.
In fact, the biggest challenge for me here is the height of the trunk,
which is only 40 cm (I even count on badly assembling the Zodiac, I won't get from 30 cm to 40)

"The Zodiac flat floors can suffer from flexing which leads to loss of prop grip"
I saw on the forum that this is mentioned relatively often, but I got the impression
that this phenomenon occurs when it comes to a combination of a more powerful engine and higher load,
so I'm just asking if I can realistically expect this with 9.8 and 1 to 2 on board?

I'm a little worried that very little is mentioned in forums or videos Zodiac CA 350 - like some ghost SIB.

[Fenlander]

Regarding packing it is possible to some degree to make a dimension that is crucial to you as tight as possible but because you have the same volume of material to pack away it will make another dimension a little larger.

If you consider the length (largest dimension) of the pack actually what is the width of the boat that will be dictated by the width of the transom. Then for example if you wanted a pack with the lowest height you can make the roll less tight so the pack width is greater but the height less.

The prop slip is most often seen when using more powerful outboards but can happen with any combination. I have experienced it occasionally before with about 3/4 throttle on a 15hp motor pushing a 3.6m Zodiac air floor with myself and two children.

You are right that there is not so much said on the forum about these Zodiacs. Perhaps us forum folk like a bargain so tend to go for the best value Honwaves and Excel etc... apart from those that buy more expensive specialist SIBs and SIB sized RIBs.

[Summer of 89]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

If you consider the length (largest dimension) of the pack actually what is the width of the boat that will be dictated by the width of the transom. Then for example if you wanted a pack with the lowest height you can make the roll less tight so the pack width is greater but the height less.

So far, this has been the main limiting factor in my consideration - what I can put in the 40 cm high trunk. In fact, it is possible to stack Honwave 38 (!!!) at below 40 cm. Make it 20 cm wider. This opens up new possibilities

[Fenlander]

Well yes a T38 will feel a lot more roomy and secure on the water. And they are something of a bargain at only £100 extra over the T32 in the UK. I assume a similar difference where you are.

If I were buying a T38 to store in a vertical space of 40cm I'd want to see one in a dealers and have a go at packing to that size in case that particular SIB couldn't make that dimension. What about the longest packed dimension of 122cm... is that OK for you. If you wanted that dimension to go across the width of your vehicle it could be tight unless your trunk space is larger than most cars.

Ideally with a T38 you'd be best with a 15-20hp motor but there is a guy on here who uses a 10hp OK when solo.

[Summer of 89]

As for the length, since it should lower part of the rear seats, it turns out the same 122 cm or 140 cm. Only the height is immutable.
T 38 would certainly give a sense of greater security.
The engine would stay the same, I’ve been dreaming of Tohatsu 9.8 for years.
Only I don't have a sense of the difference between launching and extracting the difference between T32 / 38 or Zodiac 350.
How much is it realistically harder for the average person?
The whole idea of ​​this package is to be as simple as possible for one man and at the same time big enough for the occasional company and in general to be as seaworthy as possible

[Fenlander]

I haven't owned a T38 but some folks do say they seem a bit large to handle/launch on your own. But if you want the space and big safe feeling tubes then that is the downside.

I have owned the previous model Zodiac to the 350..... a 360 with the flat floor and keel under. That was a small pack, very easy to manage when setting up and launching... it was quick too for any given outboard size.

[909]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I have owned the previous model .... was a small pack, very easy to manage when setting up and launching... it was quick too for any given outboard size.

Gorgeous boat Fen. Why did you let it go ?




Can confirm, the 340 packs right down, especially when you suck out all of the air before rolling. Fits in regular mid sized sedan. Easy to setup . Rides nice, even on a 15hp.

[Fenlander]

First one new from factory had a splitting seam on one cone first time it was inflated. Replacement made just the week's holiday where it is pictured before the transom started to split. Returned and got a full refund.... dealer told me he was getting fed up with the amount of returns he was pushing back to Zodiac. This was just before the general public became aware Zodiac had financial difficulties which finally caused a buy out and lapse in all production around 2015.

I was so frustrated by these two failures I bought a Honwave which was a sturdy and stable well made SIB with alloy floor. Sold that when I got fed up of assembling the floor each use. I now have a Zodiac /Bombard again... made the last year before the temp shutdown. Even that needed a new floor making as the one that came with the boat was made to incorrect dimensions and didn't fit into the tubes properly.

Both the 360's were made in France before Zodiac starting looking to China.

[909]

Wow. 2 brand new Zodiacs . Both made in France . Both literally split at the cone and transom on first use. I would be outraged and expect a full refund too. I bet Zodiac never refunded your dealer. I've heard similar stories from dealers over here. Mostly from hulls ripping apart, ending up behind the prop. Dealers would service them under warranty. Zodiac never paid out. Dealer loses. Customer loses. Everyone loses.

I've also had air floors that didn't fit properly . I held onto the floors and kept buying new boats until I came across a boat that fit my floors. The older ones made in France that were made properly are absolutely solid boats and probably my favorite . It's too bad , your Yatchline is a gorgeous boat . If I ever came across a good Yatchline with air floors , I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

You're also making me want to get rid of my aluminum floor Chinese made boat

[Reef Donkey]

Looking for manuals on my new to me 2006 Zodiac Projet 350. Any info would be much helpful. I have got it all back together with all new cables but im having problems on figuring out how to adjust steering and reverse to forward. not sure i hooked the reverse bucket up correctly.
Thank you